As many taxpayers continue their hand-wringing over the cost of the new Somerset Berkley Regional High School, here’s another perspective to consider.

What Somerset and Berkley accomplished with state help over the last five years would have been impossible anywhere in Rhode Island, including the Ocean’s State most affluent bedroom communities.

Saturday’s Providence Journal brings the news that Rhode Island’s moratorium on state support for new public school construction or renovation is now entering its fourth year. About $600 million in school improvement plans are reportedly on backlog with no financial rescue in sight at the Statehouse in Providence. The average age of a school building in Rhode Island is now 58 years.

Providence moved rivers to spark its now-flagging renaissance, but Somerset has moved mountains over the last few years to win consensus support for its regionalization with Berkley, manage the on-budget, on-time construction of the new school and, most recently, settle on a shared school administration plan for both districts.

The $82.4 million price tag for the new regional school is an admittedly daunting figure, but remember that about $50 million of that is coming from the state and the bonds to pay for the local share are coming to market at a time of historically low interest rates.

Somerset and Berkley have built a state-of-the-art secondary school that will undoubtedly be the envy of surrounding communities. The die has been cast; there is no turning back now.

It’s a big bet on the future. Like any bet, there’s risk involved, but shrewd play can narrow the odds?

Everyone in town can now help the bet pay off by maximizing the competitive advantage that the new school affords.

Students, teachers and administrators should redouble their efforts in pursuit of academic excellence. Somerset needs to produce school achievement scores to affirm the value of tax dollars spent on bricks, mortar and new technology.

Taxpayers can do their part with a bit less complaining about their property taxes and a bit more positive talk about the Somerset as a place to live, work and start a new business.

We have an upbeat story to sell to the region. Townsfolk can start by buying that into that idea themselves and enlisting in the sales force.